How did Pakistan fare in the sports arena in 2022

At a time when the country struggles on the economic, security, and political fronts, victories on the field, cricket in particular, bring smiles across the faces of a nation desperate for hope and stability. It is no less than a miracle that despite a lack of training facilities, infrastructure, and funding, Pakistan's athletes performed at the highest level in 2022 and made the country proud.

Here is a recap of major events where Pakistan stood out despite all odds:

January: English great promotes football in Pakistan

Former England footballer Michael Owen arrived in Pakistan to promote international football in the country in collaboration with Global Soccer Ventures (GSV). During his week-long tour, Owen held meetings with the country’s top leadership and participated in various football-related initiatives.

February: Hafeez hands Lahore their maiden PSL title

Mohammad Hafeez's all-around performance helped Lahore Qalandars win their maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) title as they thrashed Multan Sultans by 42 runs in the final of the event on February 28. Batting first, Shaheen Afridi-led Qalandars first posted a sizeable total of 181 runs and then restricted defending champions Sultans to 138.

March: Australia land in Pakistan

Pakistan struggled to attract visiting sides since a terror attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team’s bus in 2009. But cricket fans in Pakistan witnessed a historic moment when then T20 World Champions Australia flew in for a full series after 24 years – and into a security bubble that enveloped them throughout their six-week stay. They clinched the Test series and the one-off T20I against Pakistan but lost the ODI series 2-1.

April: Pakistan stun Australia

After losing the three-match Test series 1-0, Pakistan made an impressive comeback and defeated Australia in the ODI series 2-1. This was their first ODI series win over the Aussies in 20 years, which came on the back of some stellar performances from captain Babar Azam and opener Imam-ul-Haq.

May: downfall in hockey

Pakistan’s dismal performances in hockey continued as they were denied entry in the semifinals of the Asia Cup Hockey tournament by Japan at Jakarta's GBK Sports Complex Hockey Stadium.

Ranked 17th in the FIH ranking model, Pakistan needed to finish [at least] in the final four of the Asia Cup Hockey to be able to qualify for the Hockey World Cup 2023. However, a 3-2 defeat against Japan, followed by India’s 13-0 win over Indonesia dashed their hopes to the ground.

June: Babar creates history

West Indies’ limited-over squad returned to Pakistan to complete the series they left midway in December 2021 due to the fourth wave of Covid-19. The series provided Babar Azam – the world’s top batter in ODIs – with a chance to pile up runs and smash new records.

Babar’s blistering hundred in the first ODI against the West Indies made him the first batter to achieve the feat of scoring three consecutive hundreds in ODIs on two separate occasions. The skipper had earlier made two centuries against Australia before the series and also racked up three tons in a row in 2016, all against the West Indies.

July: youngest climber to summit Nanga Parbat

Twenty-year-old Pakistani mountaineer Sheroze Kashif became the youngest climber in the world to summit Nanga Parbat — 8,126 meters.

In 2021, Shehroze set two world records as he became the youngest mountaineer in the world to summit the two highest peaks in the world — Mount Everest and K2.

August: Arshad Nadeem wins gold in CWG

Pakistan’s track-and-field athlete Arshad Nadeem, who shot to fame after winning a gold medal at the inaugural Imam Reza Athletics Cup in 2021, won another gold — this time at the Commonwealth Games. He edged out world champion Anderson Peters with a career-best 90.18-metre throw in the javelin final. Nadeem's throw was also the Games' record and was registered in his fifth throw.

September: Asia Cup final defeat

Pakistan cricket team had a dismal start to the Asia Cup 2022, having lost a closely-fought game against arch-rivals India, but they peaked at the right time and won all other game group games to progress. There, they settled the score by beating India in a crucial game. India ended up crashing out of the tournament from the knockout stage. However, Pakistan were outclassed by gritty Sri Lanka who went on to win the final of the tournament.

October: England overpower Pakistan

England’s cricket team arrived in Karachi for their first tour of Pakistan in 17 years, a lengthy absence brought about by security fears. They won the seven-match T20I series 4-3, before returning to the country in December again for a Test series.

November: World Cup heartbreak

Just like the Asia Cup, Pakistan had a horrible start to the T20 World Cup with back-to-back defeats at the hands of India and Zimbabwe. However, the Greenshirts bounced back and won all their remaining games, and defeated New Zealand in the semi-final as well. However, lacking the final touch – once again, Pakistan were denied another trophy, this time by England, who played impressive cricket throughout the tournament.

December: New Zealand return to Pakistan

Pakistan’s bumper season came to a close as they welcomed New Zealand on their home soil after 19 years. Although Kiwis landed in the country in September last year, they flew back without playing any game due to "security reasons", infuriating the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that called it “disrespectful”.

They are now here to play a two-match Test series and three ODIs. The Black Caps will return to Pakistan for a limited-over series in April-May next year.